Reason for Establishment
Encouraging the aspects of "Mahinda Chinthana", another splendid occasion was declared in the green valleys of Matara on 17th Feb 2013, the Opening of Mahinda Rajapaksa College. The giant wings of excellent education are now spread towards rural champions who have passed the grade five scholarship examination with top-level marks.
There were only 12 National schools with a limited number of seats in Matara Zone. According to statistics, there were 600 brilliant students left over in their rural schools, though they have got through the grade five scholarship examinations. Giving these rural champions a better solution, Mahinda Rajapaksa College, Matara was established with 180 scholarship holders for five grade six classes to elevate their educational career.
Behind the Story of Our School
The preliminary plans of commencing Mahinda Rajapaksa College was started to discuss in September 2012, with the honourable Minister Dalas Alahapperuma, the pathfinder of Matara. The major aim of establishing a Mahinda Rajapaksa College in Matara was to develop this school as a historic turning point of Sri Lankan education culture by providing almost all the modern facilities to the school.
With that aim in mind, the Department of Education was seeking a proper place for this school. At last the final decision came into light. It was to take two acres in a place called, Wallamadama Rassandeniya. The buildings in this land were built for Mahamaya Balika Vidyalaya, Matara as it was heavily damaged by Tsunami in the year 2004. As Mahamaya Balika Vidyalaya has rejected shifting to this new land due to the beliefs of People, Mahinda Rajapaksa College was decided to establish here. The name of this place "Rassandeniya" was changed as it is believed to be harmful for an image of a school. It is named as "Sarasavi Uyana" enlightening the true image of a school.
"May this college be a tribute to the people of Matara, who have produced generations of scholars for the Sri Lankan nation."
A Historic Legacy
In the historic city of Mathota, widely known as Matara—a city deeply renowned for its authors, poets, poetesses, lay and clergy scholars, patriots, and astute entrepreneurs—this beautiful 24-acre land is bounded on one side by the main road running towards Tissa and Kataragama like a ribbon, on another side by the University of Ruhuna, the cradle of exceptional scholars, and on the other side by the scenic Devinuwara lagoon.
It embraces the endless Indian Ocean and the blue sky as its vast horizon. The blessings of Lord Sri Utpalawarna of the historic Devinuwara, residing just within sight, and the serenity radiating from the adjacent sacred grounds of the Sri Pushparama Temple further heighten the profound value of this land. If this land were viewed purely through a commercial lens, it is an indisputable truth that a star-class tourist resort would have been built upon it.
Offering a solution to the frequent protests by parents outside popular schools in urban Matara, he determined that this inanimate complex of buildings must become a living seat of learning—one enriched with unparalleled qualities. That was the year 2013... This was the exact moment Mahinda Rajapaksa College Matara was conceptually conceived. From that point onward, the efforts accelerated rapidly.
The culmination of these tireless efforts took place on February 17, 2013, when this unique institution of learning was gifted to the sons and daughters of Ruhuna by the hands of the then Honorable President of the Republic of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa. This beautiful land became an oasis for the most talented children of the Rohana region, spanning from the distant Giruwa Pattuwa to Hinidum Pattuwa, the nearby Morawak Korale, the edges of the great Sinharaja forest, and all along the southern coastline of the Ruhuna land.
It was not just another school... It was an institution distinguished by unique characteristics in every aspect. Opening its doors exclusively to scholarship holders, organized around a specialized daily schedule, dignified by a distinct uniform, and enriched with numerous activities that fulfill the holistic goals of education, our Mahinda Rajapaksa College was dedicated to the public.
Being blessed with the leadership of a principal who welcomed challenges, along with the dedicated service of both academic and non-academic staff, was a monumental triumph achieved in its very first hour. Beginning its academic journey with 160 children across four parallel classes, Mahinda Rajapaksha College was fortunate enough within just four months to welcome Advanced Level students across all subject streams. Since that day, echoing louder than the roar of the Indian Ocean's waves, the unmatched fame and glory of the college began to spread far and wide.
Unprecedented Excellence
Constantly reminding themselves of the scholarly saying, "A nation that does not innovate will not rise in the world," our alma mater works extraordinarily hard to gift new inventions to the world. Nurtured with knowledge and excelling in logic and debate, our children will surely raise their powerful voices as future lawmakers within the legislature.
Being able to crown daughter Paramie Prasadini Ransarani as the Island's 1st in the Engineering Technology stream at the 2017 Advanced Level examination was a magnificent achievement for Mahinda Rajapaksa College while it was still in its infancy. Not only that, but in the exact same year, the children of Mahinda Rajapaksa College secured numerous unprecedented achievements across both the Engineering Technology and Biosystems Technology streams. The name of Mahinda Rajapaksa College began to shine in golden letters at both national and district levels.
Even though no other school in the island is considered a direct competitor, we are fortunate today to receive the guidance of a determined group of teachers dedicated to ensuring that this college remains second to none. Instilling the core truth into their spiritual lives that discipline is decisive in forging a developed nation, these sons and daughters of Rajapaksa College will undoubtedly step forward one day to protect their motherland above their own lives.